“I was eating souffle at Rise Restaurant with Laura and two buddies,” Bush told a conference of hedge fund managers in Las Vegas at a paid appearance, according to an ABC News report today. His meal was interrupted by a call from the White House informing him that President Obama needed to talk to him.

George W. Bush (AFP photo)

“I excused myself and went home to take the call,” Bush said. “Obama simply said ‘Osama bin Laden is dead.'”

The current president then explained to his predecessor details of the raid and the decision-making process that led to the mission.

“Good call,” Bush told Obama, according to the report.

Bush made his remarks Wednesday before a group of 1,800 people at the Bellagio resort and casino. An ABC News contributor was attending the event and informed the network, which posted a report on its web site today.

Other highlights reported by ABC:

— Bush said he was “not overjoyed” at bin Laden’s death. The mission was planned not “out of hatred but to exact judgment.”

— On bin Laden’s death: “The guy is dead. That is good.”

— On the symbolism of the mission: “Osama’s death is a great victory in the war on terror. He was held up as a leader.”

— On the hunt for bin Laden: “The intelligence services deserve a lot of credit. They built a mosaic of information, piece by piece.”

— On the Navy SEALs: “I met SEAL Team Six in Afghanistan. They are awesome, skilled, talented and brave.I said, ‘I hope you have everything you need. One guy said, ‘We need your permission to go into Pakistan and kick ass.'”

— On the battle against terrorism: “The long-term solution is to promote a better ideology, which is freedom. Freedom is universal. People who do not look like us want freedom just as much.

In a recent interview with ABC coinciding with the 100-mile Texas bike trek for wounded warriors, Bush spoke favorably of Leon Panetta, President Obama’s incoming Defense Secretary, and David Petraeus, Obama’s choice to head the CIA.

“Both of them are good men,” he told ABC’s George Stephanopoulos.

But the former president declined to weigh in on rising oil prices, saying he is trying to stay out of politics.